PNoy: Lacson may probe pork barrel mess

MANILA, Philippines - Former Senator Panfilo Lacson may probe the alleged irregularities in the use of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), President Benigno Aqunio III said Thursday.

Aquino made the statement after Senator Alan Cayetano called for the designation of Lacson as a special independent investigator to help the Senate in its inquiry into the pork barrel scam.

But the President said that he is still awaiting a study being conducted by the Office of the Executive Secretary before drafting an Executive Order for Lacson's possible new job.

“Well, open tayo pero hinihintay natin iyong…proposed executive order undergoing study by the Executive Secretary. Hinihintay ko pa 'yung findings nila dito,” Aquino was quoted as saying in a news release.

“I will follow it up with the Executive Secretary, dahil medyo matagal-tagal na ring pending ang proposal ni Senator Lacson,” the President said.

According to the President the Inter-Agency task force is composed of representatives from the Ombudsman, the Department of Justice and the Commission on Audit.

Cayetano cited Lacson's credibility and for having “the necessary skills and excellent track record of an elite investigator.”

Lacson never availed of his pork barrel allocation during his term in the Senate.

In a resolution, Cayetano also urged other senators to heed the strong clamor for the abolition of the pork barrel.

“The continued presence of the PDAF in the national budget is viewed by the public as an unwillingness of the legislature to address the many abuses and instances of corruption in the system and an unwillingness to heed the voice of the Filipino people for dramatic change,” said Cayetano.

Last week, the Commission on Audit (COA) revealed that at least 74 lawmakers exceeded their pork barrel allocation from 2007 to 2009.

The agency reported that at least 12 senators and around 180 congressmen, through the Department of Budget and Management, funneled P6.156 billion in pork barrel funds to 82 questionable non-government organizations, some of which are linked to alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.

Related: COA confirms 10 Napoles NGOs got P2-B 'pork'